AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The continuation of the brutal Israeli airstrikes on Gaza that according to the latest figures have killed at least 192 people, including 58 children and 34 women, like a genuine tragedy and deep pain hurts the feelings of the citizens of the Muslim countries. Actually, the new round of the Israeli attacks on Gaza that started last Monday and continues to the moment brings a great sorrow to the Muslims.
Meanwhile, Iraq, as one of the most important Islamic countries that was encouraged by the West to join the normalization with the Israeli regime after a number of Arab states normalized ties with Tel Aviv, perhaps stronger than any other Muslim country condemned the Israeli atrocities. Saturday, a large rally was arranged in Iraq in support of the oppressed Palestinians, and various political parties in recent days have explicitly condemned the atrocities of the Israeli forces in Gaza.
Huge rally in Tahrir Square in solidarity with Palestine
On Saturday, Tahrir Square in central Baghdad witnessed a big rally in support of Palestine. The rally was in response to Muqtada al-Sadr, the leader of Sadr Movement, calling on Friday for a huge gathering.
NAS news agency reported that the central committee watching the protests in the country, which is affiliated with Sadr Movement, in a statement had said that the rally would be held on Saturday, at 4 pm. The call was received affirmatively by other groups and political factions. Fatah Alliance, led by Hadi al-Amiri, whose rally was to be held on Friday change the date to Saturday. Additionally, Ayatollah Jawad al-Khalisi, a top Iraqi cleric called on Iraq Hezbollah Movement and the Sunni Iraqi Islamic Party to join the marches.
Following these calls, Baghdad's Tahrir Square witnessed a large gathering of thousands in support of the Palestinian cause. The rallies coincided with this year’s Nakba Day, which marks the destruction of the Palestinian society and forced displacement of 750,000 in 1948 and Israeli regime foundation.
Participants in anti-Israeli demonstrations set fire to the Israeli regime's flag. The flags of Palestine and Iraq were also carried during the ceremony. The participants expressed their anger at the brutal attacks of the Israeli warplanes against the Palestinian people. The demonstrators also set fire to the flag of the US as the main supporter of the Jewish regime.
On the other hand, anti-Israeli demonstrations were held in Diyala in eastern Iraq in support of Al-Quds (Jerusalem) and in opposition to the Israeli regime's attacks that took lives of dozens of women and children. In this city, too, the demonstrators demanded a united stance against Tel Aviv crimes.
Iraqi groups united in condemnation of Israeli barbarous actions
The sympathy of the Iraqi parties with the Palestinians and the condemnation of the Israeli crimes has been massive. In fact, in addition to calling for rallies, in recent days the Iraqis have been sharply critical of Tel Aviv, which confirms the end of any possibility of Baghdad entering the normalization process with the “child-killing” Israeli regime.
In the past few days, al-Sadr and Sayyed Ammar al-Hakim separately stated solidarity with the Palestinian people and disparaged Tel Aviv’s expulsion of the Palestinians from their homes in Al-Quds. In a Twitter post, al-Sadr wrote: “Once again and under the international cover, the Zionist regime is acting against the Palestinians and the holy Al-Quds which is for all religions not a criminal group that does not know the meaning of sanctity, religion, and belief and claims to be the guardian of Al-Quds without any reasoning or qualifications”
Also, al-Hakim in a statement said: “we follow with great concern the dangerous developments around Al-Aqsa Mosque after its occupation by the occupying forces and their violence to disperse the worshipers who have peacefully sat inside the mosque and attack them with bullets and tear gas that caused injuries and suffocation."
Also, in one of the most important reactions, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the top Shiite cleric who has always emphasized on the lost rights of the Palestinian people, reiterated his support for the people of Al-Quds, wished them success, and called on the “free nations” to support the Palestinian people.
His office’s statement read: “This religious cleric once again expresses brazenly his support to the honorable Palestinians in their brave resistance to the occupiers who are seeking further Palestinian lands occupation and displacement of people from the holy Al-Quds, and calls on the free nations to back the Palestinians to restore their stolen rights. Violent attacks these days in and around Al-Aqsa Mosque and other occupied territories certainly demonstrate the scale of the Palestinian resistance to the brutal and barbarous occupation and constant violations and the forced expulsions in Al-Quds.”
The Iraqi ambassador to Egypt, Ahmed al-Dulaimi, at a virtual meeting called on the Arab League to "take all deterrent measures to prevent attacks on Al-Quds." He said that the Republic of Iraq has always expressed its unwavering support for the Palestinian cause, noting that his country condemns the regime's army attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque and the “acts of intimidation and terror among defenseless Muslim worshipers.”
Al-Dulaimi added: “What happened and is happening in the attacks on the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque, as well as the illegal decisions made by the occupiers and the brutal attacks that followed in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood and other neighborhoods in the occupied city of Al-Quds, are nothing but a new crime added to a long history of crimes of the occupying Zionist regime.”
The Iraqi Association of Muslim Scholars was another party to condemn the Israeli crimes. It called the Israeli crimes in the occupied territories planned “Zionist terrorism” and asked the responsible organizations to answer the Palestine people's call for help.
Sheikh Akram al-Ka’abi, the secretary-general of the Nujaba Movement in a tweet said that any compromisers to the Israeli regime are “mahdur aldam,” a term meaning deserving death, and thus should be treated like treating the “Zionists.” Al-Ka’abi, asserting that the Iraqi resistance’s actions are taken openly, said that “we are not afraid of anybody.”
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